USA women’s hockey opens Olympics with 5–1 win over Czechia as Hilary Knight leads Day 1 statement

The U.S. women’s hockey team opened the 2026 Winter Olympics with a decisive 5–1 win over Czechia on Thursday, February 5, setting an early tone in a tournament where seeding and confidence can matter as much as standings. Captain Hilary Knight scored in the victory, reinforcing her role as the program’s steady center of gravity as the Games begin across Milan’s two-rink setup.

With group play now underway, attention shifts quickly from the opener to the next two tests: a matchup with Finland and then the high-stakes collision course with Canada.

Czechia vs USA: the opening result that set the table

The United States controlled the opener from the start, outshooting Czechia 42–14 and spreading production across the lineup in a 5–1 win. Alex Carpenter opened the scoring, Joy Dunne delivered the eventual game-winner, Hayley Scamurra scored twice, and Knight added a goal as the U.S. pulled away. Czechia briefly narrowed the margin before the Americans restored control and finished the job.

For Czechia, the challenge wasn’t just defending speed through the neutral zone—it was surviving long U.S. possession stretches that forced repeated shifts in-zone. The quick turnaround into the rest of group play makes this an early gut-check for a team that expects to be in the quarterfinal mix.

Hilary Knight’s role: captain, finisher, and standard-setter

Knight entered these Games already carrying a unique status: a program anchor competing in her fifth Olympics and, this week, officially named captain for the tournament. In the opener, her contribution wasn’t limited to the scoresheet. The U.S. played with a clear structure—pacing the game, avoiding panic after any momentum change, and pressing again immediately after Czechia’s brief push.

That matters because Olympic hockey can turn on short windows: a single penalty sequence, a bad line change, or one defensive breakdown. Veteran captains can’t prevent every swing, but they can keep a young roster from drifting after one.

Winter Olympics women’s hockey: how the groups work

The women’s tournament features 10 teams split into two groups. Group A includes the top-seeded powers and is built to produce heavyweight matchups early; Group B is a tighter middle tier where every game can swing quarterfinal qualification.

• Group A: United States, Canada, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland

• Group B: Japan, Sweden, Germany, Italy, France

All Group A teams advance to the quarterfinals, with placement affecting seeding. In Group B, the top three advance, making every point critical.

Schedule and results: where USA and Czechia go next

Below is a quick, ET-based snapshot of the key results so far and what’s immediately ahead for the two teams driving today’s search interest.

These early games often decide the “path” more than the podium: the quarterfinal matchup you draw, the rest you earn (or don’t), and whether you peak too early.

What to watch next: Finland, Canada, and the seeding race

For the U.S., the Finland game is a classic Olympic trap: disciplined structure, opportunistic offense, and a tendency to turn tight games into goalie-and-special-teams battles. The Americans’ opener showed they can dictate pace; the next test is whether they can stay patient if the game stays 1–1 into the third.

For Czechia, the immediate goal is to stabilize quickly and build points against Switzerland while carrying lessons from the U.S. game: quicker exits under pressure, fewer defensive-zone turnovers, and a cleaner plan to handle sustained cycle shifts.

The bigger tournament truth is simple: the opener is a statement, but the medal path is built in the grind—how teams manage fatigue, respond to adversity, and avoid giving away seeding with one flat performance.

Sources consulted: Reuters, Olympics.com, USA Hockey, International Ice Hockey Federation